Scavenger Hunt - Boulder Style

When unlikely runner through out the idea of a scavenger hunt last week, I got a bit excited. For one, I remember reading some posts last year but it was before I came out of the dark, lonely place called lurk-ville. And for two, Boulder has about anything you could want. A scavenger hunt at home might be difficult. A hunt in Boulder, should be fun!

I had been wanting to run into the canyon, so I drove to the a parking lot across from the Municipal building (It seemed like a public lot, other people going to the park parked there so I went for it.) This way I could run to the canyon and not have to waste a few miles running there and back from my apartment.

But first, I wasn't sure I'd see everything I'd need on the canyon trail... so I headed into the city.

It took me about 20 steps before I found my first things!

2. Something ugly

I don't think many would argue that that is pretty...

And you couldn't have goose without these of course...

7. A live animal

(Sorry for the blur)

These guys were surprisingly calm. There were babies with some fuzzy feathers still but they didn't seem to care that a million people were around. I'd rather that than angry geese. Moving on.

Continued down the little trail when I spotted this...

5. Something with numbers

Hey, it's better than the speed limit sign I figured I'd have to settle for!

I went downtown, tried to take pictures of people, walking, biking etc. without being a complete creeper (not sure it worked.) I went to Pearl Street, where the fancy little shops are. A lot of times there are street performers and crazy stuff there. I was really worrying about finding something ironic. Well, I got there and, not surprisingly for the time of day, it was pretty empty. Darn. I stopped to check my list of things I needed to find and thought "something purple, what's purple?" Hey that bike right in front of me is!

4. Something purple

Score!

So I went back to the bike path so I could run in the pretty canyon. Now, I was really concerned about finding something ironic.

Then I was just trotting along down the trail next to the paved path, trying to avoid the seemingly homeless people with giant bags, some with stereotypical shopping carts, sitting by the river. Maybe it's just being a young woman, but I get a little uneasy. But then I spotted this!

6. Something ironic

I'm thinking that's ironic enough for me!

And there were some people sitting right behind this. Again with the trying not to look like a creep. Back to running.

I was thinking about the other things I had to find. And I was having so much fun scouring the trail, the time really flew by. Maybe I should make up scavenger hunts for myself all the time!

And as I was going along I thought "this is so cool that there are nice little trails next to the pretty river right in town!" Hey that can count as ...

1. Something beautiful.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I tend to find trails pretty darn beautiful these days.

Then I finally got to the canyon! And saw this...

8. People doing something healthy

I feel like there's a lot of health going on there. 4 bikers, a runner right in front of them, two older people walking (good for them!) and a couple with a little kid (I would say those parents are also fostering a healthy relationship with their son! )

Right outside of town you start climbing, while still following the river. But of course, you're getting closer to the source and the river gets wider and also noisier. So...

3. Something loud

(Random note, I really wanted to get a picture of a biker in a really loud (in the colorful sense) outfit. Seriously, are all those people sponsored? Or where do they get those outfits? But I either didn't get a good picture because they were soooo fast or I hesitated about being creepy again. Darn my awkwardness.)

Now the tall thing...well Boulder specifically does not have tall buildings so they don't block the view of the mountains. And there aren't any redwood-ish trees that I saw. Not even a really tall person or plant I could take a picture of. I guess mountains are pretty tall. That seemed too easy though.

But there was this...

A pretty tall rock formation. But next to it was this....

9. Something tall

Climb to safety? How fast is a flash flood? I think the sign is overestimating my ability to run fast uphill. Or are you saying climb that rock formation? That's a tall order. (Ha...ha...sorry, had to )

I really wanted to get both in one picture but the sign was not positioned for me to do so I know no two pictures for one category. Sorry!

Ran a little more, still scanning for pictures and really taking in the scenery even though I was done with the hunt and flew on the way back to my car.

Once I rounded off a nice 5 miles, I stopped and took a picture. But then after sitting in my hot black car for a minute posting about my run on facebook, I started sweating ~100 times more. So here it is, the finale...

10. My sweaty post-run self

That was a lot of fun. Seriously might have to make up these for myself! Thanks UR for the fun run!

I always wondered the same thing myself re: the cyclists. Like, a friend of mine works for a bike shop and they make him outfits for his bike trips to advertise for the shop, but I highly doubt all of those bike people get stuff from their work to advertise! (And if that's the case, will my work pay me to wear their logo while I run??)

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